I’ve missed you — and I’ve missed preparing posts for Two Minutes Du Jour. So with today’s post, I’m getting “back to it” with a quick recap and a peek at what’s on the radar as August wraps up and fall approaches.
Summer began with travel. I spent late May through early June with my sister and her family visiting Corsica — hiking new trails, hanging out at a beautiful beach-front Airbnb, wandering through old villages, and even sneaking in a sisters’ side trip to Rome.
Sadly, during that trip my beloved Duke passed away in his sleep at 12½. He’d been slowing down, having some hip discomfort and we had recently learned that his kidney function was declining. The loss hit hard — especially being nearly 5,000 miles from my husband and our children. We miss him daily — our one and only Duke — and plan to celebrate his incredible life and scatter his ashes around what would have been his 13th birthday this fall.
Oh! And we welcomed Ranger – our middle son’s curious and energetic kitten. He visits us often and I’m learning that cats are very different from dogs:)
During late June through mid-July, my husband and I escaped to our happy place in Montana — two weeks of hiking, mountain air, long conversations on the trail, and some shared audiobooks for the 12-hour roadtrip from Minnesota.
August brought birthday celebrations (my middle son’s and mine — yes, there was homemade blondie-brownie ice cream involved), plenty of sleepovers and bike rides with our grandson, and a fun road trip to visit friends outside Chicago including a glorious afternoon at the Botanic Garden.
Add in a Cobb Salad dinner party at our house with friends, a batch of white wine sangria infused with orange and rosemary, and a stone fruit trifle that disappeared in record time, and you can see why the blog went a little quiet. We were busy doing tous les jours (everday).
Now, it’s “back to it.” On my list: starting Sept. 1 is a 30-day yoga and Pilates challenge with Kassandra, a five-week PRSA series to earn an AI certificate, and — most importantly — returning to more frequent posts here on Two Minutes Du Jour.
Here’s to all of us embracing our own “back-to-it” season — whatever that looks like for you. Maybe it’s picking up an old hobby, setting a small new goal, or simply carving out two minutes each day for a moment of discovery. That’s what this blog is all about: two minutes to learn, to grow, and to spark a little inspiration — not so much advice as just encouraging curiosity.
If you’ve found value here — if a post has made you smile, think, or try something new — I’d love for you to share Two Minutes Du Jour with someone who might enjoy a daily dose of curiosity and connection.
Two Links Du Jour
Kassandra’s Newest 30-Day Yoga & Pilates Challenge – Starts on September 1 via YouTube
AI in Action: Practical Tools and Techniques for the Modern Communicator – Offered by the Public Relations Society of America
Two Minutes Du Jour 
3 responses to “It’s the “Back to It” Season”
I’m SO, SO sorry to hear of Duke’s passing! The loss of our fur babies is devastating and to be so far away. I hope that the ‘back to it’ keeps you busy enough to help ease the loss.
Thinking of you both,
Jess
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Thank you so much, Jess. 💙 Losing Duke has been so hard, and being away made it even tougher. We’re so grateful for your kind words and for thinking of us — staying busy has definitely helped, and your message means the world. I hope you and your family are well during the “back to” school season.
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[…] also leaning into learning. As I mentioned in Tuesday’s post, I signed up for an AI certification program through PRSA. In my day job, colleagues and I talk […]
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